1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery terminal mounted to the battery post of a battery installed in a motor vehicle, and relates specifically to a battery terminal whereby the task of securing the battery terminal to the battery post and the task of securing the terminal to the cable connector of the battery terminal can be accomplished by a single thread tightening operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional battery terminal of this type, the task of securing the battery terminal to the battery post and the task of securing the cable-side connecting terminal to the cable connector of the battery terminal are separate tasks.
As shown in FIG. 11, the battery terminal is made from a single metal member, and comprises a ring-shaped post fitting 2 of which one end is open and which is formed to fit over the battery post 1, clamping members 3a and 3b contiguous on both sides to the open ends of the post fitting 2, and a cable connector 4 contiguous to the closed side of the post fitting 2.
In a stud type battery terminal of this type wherein a stud bolt 5 projects from the cable connector 4, the bolt holes of the terminals T1 and T2 are separately crimped to the cables W1 and W2 connected to the battery are passed over the stud bolt 5 and clamped from above by a nut 6.
The post fitting 2 is similarly fitted over the battery post 1, and a nut 8 is tightened onto the bolt 7 previously passed through the clamping members 3a and 3b, thus closing the open end of the post fitting 2 contiguous to the clamping members 3a and 3b, and thereby clamping the post fitting 2 securely to the battery post 1.
With this conventional battery terminal, however, an impact wrench or similar tool is used from the side to clamp the battery terminal to the battery post. In most late-model passenger vehicles, however, the engine compartment is extremely crowded, and the proximity of other components makes it difficult to adequately tighten the post fitting by applying a horizontal force because of interference from other components. It is even possible for the impact wrench to contact the negative terminal while tightening the positive post fitting, possibly causing an electrical short which, in a worst-case scenario, could cause an engine compartment fire.
In addition, this battery terminal design requires separate tasks to secure the battery terminal to the battery post and secure the battery cable terminal to the cable connector of the battery terminal. The separation of these tasks increases the total time required to complete both.
It is also necessary to consider the assembly sequence when designing the battery terminal, and the location of the cable connectors must be carefully considered to prevent interference between the air ducts and other components with the cable connector, cable terminals, and cables while assembling the battery terminal to the battery post. These limitations noticeably reduce the degree of freedom in battery and terminal design.